Ouch Charlie! That Hurts

May 14, 2013

Daily Read– Turn Criticism into Motivation

Yes, criticism is hard to swallow and can even hurt, but how you respond to criticism could either set you up for success or failure. The key to using criticism to your benefit is learning how to handle it. Follow these tips and turn that hurt into help:

Understand where your critic is coming from. Realizing your idea may not the best idea since sliced bread can be tough, but hearing that criticism from someone whose opinion you hold highly is even harder. Instead of looking at the information as a personal “attack”, use it to focus on improving your weak points.

Take the negative in stride. Sometimes we are too close to see our mistakes or areas that need improvement. Try not to interrupt, listen, and then ask for recommendations to fix your flaws.

Use criticism to motivate. Often times we want support and encouragement of our new ideas, but what we need is for people you respect to tear your business model apart and point out the flaws in your idea. It’ll hurt to hear it, but it will get you thinking. It may even drive you to excel so you can even debunk those doubts.

Don’t quit. Criticism is hard to take, but the worst thing you can do is give up. Instead go out and pursue your goal even more ardently. Let your passion for your idea show through the criticism and lead to your success!